00:00 So we're here at Queen's Buildings, Victoria Square. Mitch you're not selling peppers today are you?
00:06 It's not your regular. People will know you as an online sensation.
00:12 Chef, teaching people how to cook budget meals and feed a family.
00:16 And very relevant you're here today because we're launching, go on Tom, this is your gig, what are we launching?
00:22 Central Community Shop and the Pomegranate Social Enterprise.
00:25 What's special about this shop then Tom?
00:27 There's a lot of different community shops and supermarkets but this is one of a kind really.
00:33 It's for the whole community in Wolverhampton.
00:35 So anyone who's got a Wolverhampton address can access it.
00:38 Not only is it great produce, good prices, but there's all of the support in the background as well.
00:43 And people, £3 annual membership and you're getting really good bargains as they say.
00:49 Yeah fantastic, fresh fruit and veg from local suppliers, great produce in there.
00:53 So yeah, come and down and come and check it out.
00:56 You must be impressed with what they're doing here, Mitch?
00:59 Absolutely yeah, I mean I've just been around to look at it.
01:02 As you can see, pepper is £30p, that's incredibly cheap.
01:06 So it's a great price in there, there's a nice bit of variety as well.
01:09 It's got all the fundamentals and all the basic humble ingredients to be able to make a cracking meal really.
01:15 And the Good Shepherd were really ambitious for the people that use our services.
01:19 And I think it's really important for the people of Wolverhampton to have a project like this.
01:23 It's not just about providing people support, it's about giving them training opportunities, employment opportunities
01:28 and doing that in a dignified way.
01:31 This project is kind of an evolution of our services and it's the fruition of a lot of discussions we've had with key partners in the city.
01:38 And Walls Foundation, how are you guys involved Tom?
01:41 We're a partner on the project, we've put some funding into it and then put a member of staff that's working in the shop.
01:47 So I think more than part of us, it's working with the partnerships to empower the Good Shepherd to keep doing the amazing work they do.
01:53 You did the big Feed Our Pack campaign didn't you, which I guess made you very aware of the situation of families in the area and how someone was struggling.
02:01 Yeah, very much so. Three years ago we had no idea about financial well-being and food poverty.
02:05 And that project was about learning about how we can support people locally.
02:08 And we became even closer partners with the Good Shepherd and all the organisation and the city was doing similar work.
02:13 So yeah, very much so.
02:15 And Stephen Bradley, they're leader of the council. Now we just caught you shopping but that's because of the salary the council pay these days.
02:21 This is where you're forced to shop these days aren't you?
02:25 Well, hopefully Mitch is going to cook me some red hot chilli peppers.
02:30 Oh is this what it is? You're going to get him on board as a personal chef?
02:33 He's going for a fiver as well.
02:34 What's really important is the way that we've collaborated and worked together to achieve.
02:39 What we've achieved in such a short time is phenomenal for me. It just proves that when we want to work together we can.
02:45 And we've always been an open door with all the organisations across the city.
02:49 But this is just the start. This is about opening up opportunities to people.
02:53 Not just to suffering from food poverty or a cost of living crisis.
02:57 This is about passporting people into employment or education. That's the key thing.
03:03 And that's what's really important.
03:04 So yeah, the Queen's building is iconic but it's about the people of the city.
03:08 And it wouldn't be right for us not to have a city centre venue where people can feel confident in that space.
03:15 To come back and then say, you know, I need a little bit of help.
03:18 And that's all it might be. Just a bit of information. So we're more than happy.
03:22 I'm really over the moon with everything that people have done.
03:25 Especially the Toms and Kate Lees from the authorities. It's been fantastic.
03:29 So, open door policy is what we want.
03:32 Well done. Fantastic. Right.
03:34 Catch you Peppers! Red Green Peppers!
